Investment in First Nations literature and fashion to expand markets and showcase depth and diversity of talent
Creative Australia
Creative Australia has announced the latest recipients of the Flourish and Elevate investment programs, supporting First Nations creators across literature, storytelling, fashion and textiles.
An investment of $500,000 through Flourish will support First Nations designers and organisations in the fashion and textiles sector. This year the program will support 12 recipients, including Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation, a collective of Yindjibarndi artists, as they work towards the launch of the Juluwarlu Fashion Label.
A further $120,000 investment through Elevate will support 12 First Nations storytellers, including writers, poets and illustrators. The latest investment will support emerging and established voices working across diverse genres from romantic comedy and memoir to young adult fiction.
Executive Director First Nations Arts and Culture Franchesca Cubillo said:
“This crucial investment will encourage and support the continued success of First Nations excellence across an array of art forms and genres. Through Flourish, we are excited to support innovative opportunities for individuals and small business, with a strong focus on cultural and economic sustainability, business development and ethical engagement modelling in the fashion industry.
The investment through Elevate will support our storytellers; as writers, poets and illustrators bring their stories to life and provide opportunities for new audiences to have access to Australia’s First Nation ways of seeing and being. These initiatives expand the reach of First Nations creatives and showcase the profound depth and diversity of First Nations artistry to broader communities and markets, and hence enrich us as a nation.”
Skye Cusack is among the Elevate recipients and says the project will enable her to undertake research and development, with the aim of becoming a published romantic comedy author.
“I will be mentored by the amazing Melanie Saward, the second Aboriginal author to traditionally publish a romcom in Australia. I would like to be the third (or as close to it). I am also so grateful to the Elevate fund for the personal impact this project will have. I will be travelling to Yungaburra to visit my mob's Country for the first time [and] work with my grandfather Uncle Laurie Padmore to learn more about our stories and language which I will incorporate into the manuscript.”
Creative Australia recently announced a range of new initiatives to support First Nations arts. More information on Creative Australia’s investment in First Nations Arts is available on our website.
Media contact:
Brianna Roberts
Media Manager, Creative Australia
Mobile: 0498 123 541
Email: brianna.roberts@creative.gov.au
More information
Recipients:
Elevate – First Nations Storytelling and Literature
Tahnee Carter (Western Australia)
Vivienne Cleven (New South Wales)
Skye Cusack (Victoria)
Kirrilly Dawn (New South Wales)
Bernadette Duncan (New South Wales)
Charlie King (Northern Territory)
Lay Maloney (New South Wales)
Bebe Oliver (Victoria)
Lystra Rose (Queensland)
Desirai Saunders (Queensland)
Adam Thompson (Tasmania)
Ellen Van Neerven (Queensland)
Flourish – First Nations Fashion and Textile Design
Simone Arnol (Queensland)
Badu Art Centre (Queensland)
Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (Queensland)
Shaun Edwards (Queensland)
Gali Swimwear (New South Wales)
JOSEPH & JAMES (Victoria)
Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation (Western Australia)
Sandra King (Queensland)
Maara Collective (New South Wales)
Mowanjum Artists Spirit of the Wandjina Aboriginal Corporation (Western Australia)
Nagula Jarndu Designs (Western Australia)
Tjarlirli Art Indigenous Corporation (Western Australia)
Contact details:
Brianna Roberts, Media Manager, Creative Australia
Phone: (02) 9215 9030 / 0498 123 541
Email: brianna.roberts@creative.gov.au
